Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1887-10-21
Stories of the Present Day.

Ten or twelve years ago, Wheh was
on the detective force Of Cincinnati, two
or three very shrewd rascals chung up"
the town for three or four weeks in a
way which annoyed us not little.
They were chaps known as porch climb
ers, and the way they did their business
was simply slick. Porch climbing was
then in its infancy. A sneak thief might
be ready to take advantage OF an open
door or window on the lower story, but
as for "shinEing up" a column to reach
balcony, or using light ladder to en-
ter chamber window, no one had ever
tried il.
The very first job done by the gang
resulted in haul of $60O worth of jew
elry. Your common thief no sooner has
any plumber in his hand than he hastens
off to the pawnshOp TO make raise.
This jewelrv was not put up, neither
were the second and third hauls. Then
we knew that we had TO deal with ras-
Gals who had come well heeleG and were
holding on to their stuff or shipping it
to some other city for sale. The first
three robberies were made at the sup
per hour, when all the family were in
the dining-room or down stairs. The
papers made such an ado about it as TO
place citizens on their guard, and the
thieves changed their hours. 1t was in
summer, and very hot weather, and all
up stairs windows were open for venti-
lation. They went into three or four
houses through second-story windows in
the evening or up TO as late as midnight,
and cleaned out jewel cases without
being seen or heard.
Perhaps the boldest feat was the sixth
Job undertaken. There was small one
story house standing beside an elegant
mansion. The little house was on
corner. One OF the fellows mounted to
the roof, crept along 10 the larger house,
and then ascended the tin conductor on
the big house to bathroom window.
The blinds inside were locked, but he
hung TO the sill with one hand until he
could open them with the other. People
on the street saw him, and policeman
called out to know what he was doing.
The fellow was then sitting dangling
his legs in careless way, and he re-
piled:
"Jim anG do that for exercise every
right"
With that he disappeared into the
bathroom, and proceeded to ransack the
various rooms on that floor. 1t seemed
that all the family except daughter
were away to neighbor's, and the
young lady had beau in the parlor.
The servants were out on rear veran-
da, and the rooms were thus at the mer-
cy of the thief. He took his time in
making his search, and, while he was
after money and jewelry first, lie did
not despise laces. opera glasses, and val
liable brio a-brac. He made up large
bundle of staff, took cigar which he
found on a mantel, and was putting
away in the coolest manner when he de-
scended the front stairs. The girl heard
bin and came out into the hall and
asked:
"Did you want to see papa?'
"Yes, my dear" was the ready reply;
"but he seems TO be out, Tell him ]
called. will you?"
"What is the name:"
"wilcox Judge Wilcox. | brought
my Egyptian curios over for him to look
at, but some other night will do as
WE'LL"
She saw him depart without thought
of how he entered, and the robbery was,
of course, discovered later on. The de-
tectives were instructed TO let every
thing drop 10 hunt down these slick fell
lows, and there was any amount Of curs-
ing and jawing over our i'll luck. We
had every hotel and clearinghouse un-
der strict scrutiny, but we could turn up
no suspicious characters answering 10
the description of these. The man who
sat OH the sill of the bathroom window
was said to have long black whiskers.
The one who passed for Judge Wilcox
had auburn Burnsides, and was an unc-
tuous sort of a fellow. Five hundred
men could have been found in 4 days
hunt 10 answer these descriptions. For
many days the postoffice was watched,
strangers were dogged about, depots
guarded and gardens and concert halls
looked after, but We made no arrests.
At least every second night there was a
fresh robbery, and every second day the
papers had opportunity to come out
with a fresh article and belabor us. We
were seemingly doing all that men
could do, and our position was truly un-
comfortable. The climax came about
in the oldest sort of way. On one Of the
fashionable thoronghfares lived an old
maid-that il, she was one OF family,
being, If l remember right, the mans
sister. She was pretty we'll of, and al
WAYS had several hundred dollars in a
bureau drawer in her room. She had
read about the work Of the gang, and
was in a state of terror for fear the
house would be visited One day bril-
liant idea occurred to her. She would